The Izumo Help Squad: The Cartographer of Destiny
by Finale-Rez
Summary: A powerful despot has altered the course of destiny. A suffering world cries out for a hero. Familiar characters are cast into new roles. In the middle of it all, a boy who just wanted one weekend to himself.
1. Power on

It was a normal morning on the Hill Funbari. The birds were chirping. The spirits were abuzz with the latest afterlife gossip. And that vein on Anna's head was doing that throbby thing it does so well.

Yes it seemed that everyone's favorite lazy shaman had decided that he liked sleep more than he liked not having a fist in his jaw. This was a failure on her part. And someone would have to pay for that realization…

"And just where are you floating off to so early."

Shoulders slumped the ghostly samurai turned his head toward Anna, a look of absolutely dejection stuck on his face.

"It is as I have always feared. My weakness has finally become too much of a burden for master Yoh. It is with a heavy but understanding heart that I must depart before I hamper his progress further still."

"What are you talking about? Why isn't Yoh up yet?"

"Lady Anna I don't think Master Yoh likes me anymore."

With that Amidimaru become a ball (literally) of tears and incomprehensible sobbing. The wailing calmed down as he slyly eyed Anna marching past him towards Yoh's room.

---

*thwack*

"Wake up you slacker. You're going to have to run some serious laps to make up for the time you missed today."

For most people a kick to the ribs is a stressful wake up call. For Yoh, it was eight-thirty.

"Aagh, what was that about?"

"You overslept."

Yoh bolted upright making a frantic grab for his alarm clock.

"No way, Amidimaru would have woken me up."

The spirit materialized, eyes still gushing.

"But lord Yoh I did. I tried for an hour to wake you up. But all my efforts were useless…Like me~e." And the wailing started anew.

Yoh stared at Amidimaru for a moment. Or rather he stared at the area Amidimaru was floating.

"Where is he anyway?"

"Now he doesn't even recognize my presence" Amidimaru began to disappear into the floor. A familiar pressure binding his arms stopped him half way.

"I missed this gag"

"Yeah, yeah, memories." Anna gave her beads a tug. "Okay Yoh , whatever issues there are between you two, resolve them. Now."

"Problem, me? What?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe the crying samurai who thinks his best friends hates him."

Yoh's scanned the room. His head tilted in confusion.

"Amidimaru is upset? I gotta go find him and straighten this out." Yoh's covers were thrown about as he made a mad dash for the door. He would have made it if Anna hadn't tripped him.

"He's right there." Anna's tone lost just a hint of sharpness.

Yoh looked at his fiancée as if she had grown another head.

"Um, Anna? If Amidimaru was here I would be able see him, he's a big guy. And if he was crying like you said, I'd be annoyed, probably enough to tell him to _dial it down a notch_. But I can't and I'm not, so he must not be here." A dopey smile spread itself across Yoh's face.

That same smile disappeared quickly when wordlessly, Anna crossed over to him. She drew close to him, almost uncomfortably as her eyes locked with his.

"Yoh…point to one the house ghosts that are floating around this room."

"Uh, Anna-"

"Point!"

He was the one to break their gaze. Time seemed to slow as Yoh scanned the room. When he finally spoke his voice was low, as if unsure.

"There aren't any ghosts in here."

Anna inhaled sharply as she rose to her feet. She quickly disappeared into the hallway and down the stairs. Yoh sat anxiously, absent-mindedly fiddling with the end of his shirt. He jumped a bit when he heard Anna's voice echoing for the lower floor. He silently crawled to the door try and hear her better.

"Yes Miss Kino…neither see or hear…furyoku weak…there right away."

Yoh scampered back to his mat as he heard footsteps on the stairs. Soon Anna reappeared, coat on and an overnight bag over her shoulder.

"Yoh, I'm leaving for your grandparents home. I' be back in a few days. Until I do I want you stay in the house."

"What about training? I have to leave to go running."

"No!" he jumped at her sudden outburst. "No…no, just please stay in the house."

Yoh was taken aback, there was genuine concern in Anna's words. Whatever was wrong had her visibly worried.

"Amidimaru, I want you stay here with Yoh. Keep any wandering spirits away from him."

The samurai nodded nervously.

As she turned to leave Yoh gently grabbed her shoulder. When she tuned back to face him, his eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Anna what's happening to me?"

"Yoh, you're become….dulled."


	2. Title screen

"Anna left you because you're not exciting enough!?"

Yoh let out a loud laugh. An few hours after Anna had departed, Manta had decided to pay a visit. And true to form he was flipping out over Yoh's explanation for Anna's absence.

"No, no, she left because I've become dulled…but not really."

The short teen looked his friend over with utter confusion. As usual Yoh's easygoing attitude was not helping the situation.

"You see, due to the high levels of training shamans go through in their lives, we strengthen the link between body and spirit and we tend to develop a high immunity to most normal human sicknesses."

"Like that time the entire school came down with the flu. I was in bed for a week but you and Anna were over it in two days flat."

"Right. However, while a high spiritual power means a high physical health the inverse is not true."

Manta looked from Yoh to Amidimaru. The ghost seemed to be just as lost.

"Wait a minute, you mean a person's spirit can get sick?"

"Well, not sick so much as, let's say…drained. Now usually when a spirit gets 'drained' it loses it's shape, it's character. Depending on it's level, it may become a mindless monster, wanting nothing but destruction and mayhem."

"You mean like Ponchi and Conchi, are they…drained?

"No. Those two are just jerks. And anyway if they were, there's no way they'd be anywhere near a shaman to pass it on to."

"What happens when a shaman becomes drained?"

"When a shaman is drained, furyoku regeneration becomes slower, sometimes even reverses itself, in turn making even the most basic shamanic techniques near impossible."

Yoh kicked the toe of his shoe as his words settled for a moment.

"However the most devastating effect of draining is the complete loss of the ability to communicate with any type of spirit. Can't hear, touch or even see them."

"You're sixth sense becomes dulled…"

"A terrible affliction indeed…" If Amidimaru had a spine, a chill would have made multiple trips up and down it.

"How long does this last?" Manta broke the silence.

"Sometimes it lasts a only a few hours, sometimes a few days. There's a record of an Asakura that was dulled for two whole months. In fact according to grandpa…" Yoh voice dropped as he noticed how unnerved his two friends had become.

"Oh but don't worry, like I said, I'm not really dulled. That was just a ploy, to get Anna out of the house for a few da-"

For a two foot pipsqueak and an entity with no actual physical body, Manta and Amidimaru could tackle hard as hell.

"You lied to Anna?"

"You made me a part of a lie to Anna!?"

"Do you have any idea how much those beads hurt when she's just trying to restrain me? What's it going to be like when she starts swinging them around?"

"Probably miles better than when she starts swinging _me_ around!"

"Guys…"

"Oh, what about the house ghosts?"

"My god, they exaggerate so much. There's no telling the manner in which they're going to scandalize us."

Having enough of the theatrics, Yoh wrapped his hands around collars the two flailing cowards. He pulled their faces close to his, the hard glint in his eyes calming them somewhat

"Guys…relax, Anna is not going to come bursting trough the door anytime soon."

"But Yoh…" manta wrung his hands nervously "Won't this get back to Anna at some point?"

He released them. He paced about, hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh she's gonna find out about this one way or another, she's tricky like that you see. And I'll just bet one or more of the chatty little ghosts that populate this place will have a hand in it."

A moment passed as Yoh examined his nails. Flexing his knuckles he spoke again

"However if they squeal before Sunday night they can kiss all that stuff I promised them goodbye." Yoh's voice rose until it practically filled the inn.

"Master Yoh, you…bribed them?"

"I wouldn't say bribe…it's more, like Anna threatens violence for keeping their mouths shut, I promise rewards for it. Who do think you they're more likely to listen to, hmm?

Manta motioned for Amidimaru to come into a huddle. Low quick paced whispers rose into the air, stopped briefly for one of them to look Yoh over, and resumed. After two minutes of deliberation, they calmly and quietly bolted for the door. Knowing his friends better than they did, Yoh's hands were already gripping the collars, cause them to fall hard.

"It took me a month to think up this plan. And another two to rethink it so Anna wouldn't see through it five minutes in. Now for the first time in I don't know when I have a chance to see why everyone looks forward to the weekend. I would like to share that experience with my best pals but if I have to put them gagged in a hole 9 miles out so that they don't do something incredibly shortsighted, that's fine too. So guys, what are the next two hours going to be like for me?"

Despite the sinister nature of his speech, somehow Yoh managed to keep that easy smile on his face. And that's what was really worrying. Wide eyed Manta bit his lip, looking to Amidimaru. The samurai was just as stunned. They exhaled in unison.

"Well Yoh…."

"What did you have in mind?"

Clapping his hands excitedly Yoh scampered up the stairs, stopped half-way to flash a very unnerving smile then continued on.

---

…_CPU that allows for the highest quality graphics and the sharpest sound output, come into the new era of gaming with the Drive-XL, from Oyamada corp. Welcome to the evolution._

---

"You know Yoh I would have never figured you for a game head."

Manta was currently behind the television wrestling with the multitude of wire of plugs that were the norm for any electronic device worth it's salt.

"Yeah, my mom bought it for me, but between school and training, I never had a chance to open it, let alone play it."

"Well when you do, let me assure when you do, you won't be disappointed." Manta was beaming. And why not? After all it was from his father's company.

"I don't know, don't have to be good with your hands to be good at these things?"

Manta raised his eyebrow sarcastically as he looked up at Yoh.

"Yoh, you can take a human spirit, put into an object and use the power of your own soul in order to duel with other persons of a similar skill. I think you can handle a videogame. Speaking of which, what games do you have anyway?"

"Um…well" Yoh sheepishly walked over to a large hallway closet. He unceremoniously slid the door open.

"Um well wha- WOAH!"

Contained within the closet was a stockpile of games. The stack reached almost to the ceiling. Manta eyed the pile with amazement.

"This is unbelievable Yoh. How did you get all of these?"

Yoh shrugged

"Sometimes when I'm ahead of schedule during training, I'd stop off at an electronics store and have a look around. If I saw a cool looking cover I'd just buy it."

"And Anna lets you keep all of these?"

"She doesn't know that they're here. This is the cleaning supply closet."

"Somewhere she would never go in even accidentally." Manta chuckled as he reached for a case in the middle of the stack.

"You have no idea what any of these games are?"

Yoh shook his head.

"Okay, we'll just pick on at random and then work way down."

Yoh beamed at his friend

"Fine with me, but please excuse my inexperience"

---

"And that is game! Load the next disk short man!"

It was three hours later and the three friends had managed to take a pretty sizable chunk out of Yoh's game pile. Having just power slid into his twentieth straight win in "Turbo Carriage rally 4" Yoh was feeling pretty confident.

"You won only because I busted an axle on that last turn."

Manta tried to shrug off his humiliating defeat to no avail. That grin of Yoh's was there to stay. He did have to admit though, no matter what the genre or how steep the learning curve, Yoh was able to capably play all of the games they had sampled.

"Anyway the next game is…wow is it this late already?"

"What's up Manta?"

"My father thinks it's time to start grooming me to run the family business. So I have to go with him to a bunch of boring meetings tomorrow. I have to get up super early and if I want to catch a train that'll get me in home at a reasonable hour I have to leave right now."

Yoh's controller dropped sadly into his lap as he exited to the console's home screen. He sighed as he joined his friend in walking to the door.

"I'm sorry Yoh. Maybe I can I rejoin you later tomorrow?"

"Yeah…sure."

"See ya."

"Bye."

And with that Manta was gone. through the front yard and finally disappearing out of the gate. Yoh sighed once more as he closed the door.

"I guess it's just you and me then huh, Amidimaru?" Yoh absent mindedly grabbed the top most case off of the pile.

"Actually master Yoh, I am afraid that I too must depart soon." This announcement was emphasized by the fasting his sword scabbards to his waist.

"What, you're bailing too? Listen, I promise Anna won't be back tonight."

"No it's nothing like that. I promised the spirits at the cemetery that I'd guard the gate for a gathering tonight. Of course I could see if Mosuke could fill in for me…"

"No that's alright, you have other obligations. I understand."

"If it is really alright, then I will see you in the morning. Good night master Yoh."

"Yeah…good night." Yoh once again exhaled in a manner denoting sorrow or weariness, pressing the close button on his XL.

As the game's start-up sequence played out, Yoh just could not muster up the enthusiasm for it. He had hoped that he hadn't burned himself out on videogames. It was only eleven

o'clock on a Friday. He had two more days to kill before Anna came storming back and he just could not be sick of the focus of the weekend.

Yoh was about turn the system when the game's narration started…

---

_In this world there are a group people with abilities far beyond that of a normal human. With power the see and interact with the spirits of the world, these people or, shamans as they are known, gather to battle for the right to wield the most powerful spirit there is. Or at least they used to…_

_Now a dark veil has been draped over the entire planet. The spirits have left this plane, in their place horrific beasts who feed on human suffering itself. In a quiet town a prodigy child of one the strongest shaman families stands as a single point of light in a void of apathy. _

---

Yoh's mood improved as the title screen prompted him to start a new file. When he started he was asked to customize the 'prodigy child'.

Fifteen minutes later and he was finished. It didn't look exactly like him, the hair was different and he couldn't get the clothes just right. However everything else was prett much accurate. There was just one more thing before he could start.

"What should I name you?" Yoh tapped his chin thoughfully.

He considered naming it after himself but that would be weird. All sorts of names ran through his mind. Odd combinations of names he knew, adjectives and onomatopoeia. Nothing seemed to click.

He was ready to choose from the list of provided name when it hit him. It came into his mind as someone was whispering to him. the perfect name. He smiled as the cursor moved over the letters.

---

"_Wake up. It's a brand new day and I can't wait to see what you do with it this time. Wake up…Asaha. _


	3. New Game

"_Asaha you look bored…would you mind indulging an old man with a sparring match?"_

"_Okay, Dad."_

"_Don't let this wrinkled face lull you, come at me with your full power!" _

***

Unbeknownst to the two game inhabitants, this was the third time they would have this conversation.

The game had completely captured Yoh's attention. From his short experience with them, he could tell that it was a hybrid action-adventure role-playing. But what really grabbed him was that the main character was…him. And not just in that his avatar resembled him slightly.

It was everything. The starting area was a near complete replica of the Asakura compound back in Izumo. The people who populated the grounds were similarly styled after the members of his family.

His "mother", Keiko, could be found in her home office, busily making appointments with various clientele. When he tried talking her, she quickly snapped off a few clichéd words of encouragement before going back her work

"Tamao" could found in one the many guest rooms. There was something different about the look-alike, however. He couldn't tell exactly what it was though. Perhaps it was the intensity with which she was studying a large text. So wrapped up in the book, she didn't even react when Yoh tried speaking to her.

Then there was his father. His jolly, aloof, cheating bastard, level boss of a father. There was artistic liberty and then there's having a character able to fire off three unblockable hits in a row for 50 percent damage.

---

"_Asaha you look bored…would you mind indulging an old man with a sparring match?"_

"_Okay, Dad."_

"_Don't let this wrinkled face lull you, come at me with your full power!" _

---

Mikihasa rushed his son like a man possessed.

"Not this time"

Gritting his teeth, Yoh maneuvered 'Asaha around the boss arena, firing off a few furyoku empowered leaves. The damage was laughable at best. Yes, currently his most effective attack was a simple strike combo with a wooden sword.

Of course effective was relative term given how little damage it actually did.

"Wait he fakes out at half health" Yoh contorted his body in the direction of in-game avatars movements, too engrossed in the action to acknowledge the fact that it had no impact on the game whatsoever.

With impeccable agility, Asaha ducked and dodged through his father's many attacks. When the opportunity arose he srtuck back. Of course he could only manage a fraction of the damage his father could inflict on him.

Ten minutes had passed and finally Mikihasa had been whittled down to a sliver of health. Now Yoh had to do was dodge his two, no wait three projectiles and jump-attack right into his unblockable combo…damn it.

Yoh couldn't watch as Asaha was beaten about the head and then slammed viciously to the floor.

"That's fine. I didn't want to beat him right now anyway." Yoh rolled his eyes sarcastically as he maneuvered his avatar from the entrance to the boss room.

As his character scampered around the digital mansion, Yoh smiled as noticed the impressive details that were included. Placement of rooms, furniture arrangement, even small things like color detail. It was a perfect replica.

Soon he encountered the Tamao look-alike again. Over her head was a blinking thought balloon with an exclamation point.

"Hmm, I guess I can talk to her now."

***

"_Asaha, I heard your grandfather has designed another course in beginning forest. You should probably give it a run before sparring with your dad again."_

***

"Ohh, of course!" Yoh threw his hand up with a flare. "I probably gotta unlock his weakness. To the begin-" a long yawn escaped from his mouth.

Leaning slightly he glanced at the clock across the room…2:37 a.m. he sucked his teeth in surprise. He wasn't sure if it was because he was up so late or the fact that it was because of a videogame of all things.

"I should probably go to bed." He shook his head dismissing the thought "Aww, it's only the second level. This shouldn't take more than fifteen, twenty minutes tops."

And so without further delay plucky 'Asaha' made his way out of the mansion, into the mountains toward the forest area.

At the edge of the forest stood the Tamao look-alike, once again with an exclamation bubble.

***

"_Okay, you know the rules. Scattered around the forest are special leaf shikigami. Eight of them this time. Find and defeat all of them, and then make your way back here in one piece. Good luck and please, be careful."_

***

The screen darkened as the game loaded the level. Yoh used the momentary pause to rub his eyes. Since the room's only light source had been the TV screen, when the game resumed Yoh had to blink a couple of times to readjust his vision.

Time passed and the level had been going well. Yoh had managed to find five shikigami so far. They weren't that special, just leaf spirits that were twice as big, glowed bright yellow and took a few more hits to fell.

Now on the hunt for the sixth shikigami, 'asaha' paused on a rock that he had passed a few minutes ago. Yoh was listening for the distinctive clicking noise the leaf spirits made as they patrolled their area.

As the camera swiveled around 'asaha' Yoh was again impressed by how genuine the forest area seemed. It reminded him of the forest that he and his grandfather trained in when he was a child.

They got everything right. The way the sunlight filtered through the tops of the trees. The ambience of the various wildlife. Yoh decided to take his time in finishing this level. He wanted to enjoy it.

Yoh didn't know what it was but the forest really felt familiar. He couldn't shake it. Maybe it was the lack of sleep slowing him down, maybe it was the nostalgia but Yoh could not stop admiring the various areas. So engrossed was he, that he didn't notice the gradual change of the camera from an over the shoulder view to first person.

Yoh jerked his head suddenly as he felt himself nod off. He shook his head to try to clear the fatigue away, with little success. The soft background music started to fade as Yoh's eyelids grew heavier. He finally gave in and let them slowly close. An odd feeling began to overcome him. It wasn't the warm caress of oncoming sleep, but rather a locomotive feeling. It was like riding in a car only without actually moving.

Inhaling deeply he snapped his eyes open again. He took a few more deep breaths to drive the fatigue back. He thought maybe if actively tried to notice the details of the level then that would keep him awake.

"Wow they even got the smell right. "

Wait…smell? Squeezing his eyes shut, Yoh dug his toes into the ground. Yup they even got the feel of the dirt perfect. Taking a deep breath, he nearly choked on his realization.

"I really hoped I saved."


	4. Prologue

It was no secret that Yoh enjoyed sleeping. It was his trademark. And it wasn't until this very moment he knew exactly why. It kept his mind intact. It allowed him to take the insane antics that filled his daily life and make sense of it.

That had to be the only explanation for his current situation. He had never gone this long without a nap and now his brain was going through some sort of withdrawal process. It was either that or he really was standing in the middle of a forest in Izumo.

Yoh began slowly counting his fingers. He heard somewhere that this was a method used to determine if you were having one of those dreams that you could control. If there was an anomaly with the number of digits, you knew you dreaming. Unfortunately for him, he had five fingers on both hands.

Not quite giving up on this being a big hallucination, Yoh decided the best course of action would be to make his way back to his 'grandparents' home.

However there were a few hitches with this current plan.

First of all, he was dog tired. Yoh could barely stand, let alone make the who-knows-how-long trek back to the Asakura compound.

Then there was the problem of knowing where to go. When he was still looking for the shikigami, he actually managed get to lost in the level pretty good. His last memory of the provided mini-map showed that he was somewhere in the middle of the forest.

"I walk left, climbed a hill, crossed a stream..." Yoh shielded his eyes as the high noon sun peeked from behind the clouds. "and then displaced myself through space and time."

If it wasn't attached to his shoulders, Yoh's head would have dropped right to ground, given how low it was hung at the moment. With no goal or destination to guide him, he began trudging in a random direction.

In a very short time Yoh decided it was best for him take a quick rest before continuing on. He shook his head disappointedly as he realized that the most suitable spot was against a large stone poking up from the ground.

Leaning back against the hard rock, he let the situation drift from his mind. His eyes eased closed as his breathing slowed. Finally that familiar drifting feeling began to wash over him. Everything would make sense again after a good afternoon's worth of peaceful, uninterrupted…

"Attention, stranded civilian, this is a restricted area! Please standby for extraction."

Yoh took a moment before casting an annoyed glance the source of the odd command. Standing high among the branches was a figure who Yoh couldn't make out. Fighting back the foul words in his throat, Yoh mustered his remaining strength to call back.

"Thank you but I don't need any extractions."

Unseen by Yoh his would-be benefactor was also trying to bring it's tongue under control.

"Listen pal, this is private property and if you get torn to shreds on it, there are people who will be in very hot water."

Yoh wasn't sure why he trying to chase away anyone that might help his situation. but he chalked it up to lack of sleep. Of course he wasn't sure if he would be left alone to rectify that. There was nothing he could say, unless…the people who would get in trouble, could he mean…?

"It's okay, really, I can fend for myself and besides, my family owns this land."

A shot in the dark but a shot none the less.

"Your family, you say?"

A shot that just might have landed.

The figure made a leap from it's perch in the tree, landing from the great height with no trouble. The glare of the sun made it that his features were still difficult to make out. From what Yoh could see though was that it was smiling.

Seeing as how the figure was quickly closing the distance between them, Yoh thought he should probably stand to greet it. His legs however disagreed with him, sending him back to the ground.

Now standing directly above him, the sun's glare still shadowed the figures face but now Yoh could at least tell that it was male. He offered his hand toward Yoh. Thinking nothing of the oddly cordial gesture Yoh offered his hand up as well.

*thwack*

In a blur the figure's clenched fist met Yoh's forehead right between the eyes. The blow combined with Yoh's fatigue and confusion was the perfect mix to drop him like a ton of bricks.

"Then let's have a little reunion, eh?"

This was last thing Yoh was able to hear before the world darkened and finally he was pulled into unconsciousness.

***

"…even so…reckless and…"

"…look at…insult to his …vaporize it right here."

And those were the magic words. Now was the time to cut the barely lucid act. Yoh's shot open. What was supposed to be "No vaporizing please" come out as an agonized moan.

However unintelligible, it seemed to convey some form of message as the low grumbling that had roused him suddenly halted. Yoh could feel that all eyes were now on him and it made his skin crawl.

Given how dim the room was, he made no attempts to focus his eyes, for some reason he just knew he would be greeted by more shadow figures. He did however try to adjust his arm from under him. The attempt earned sharp pain and a condescending chuckle.

"They must be making them stupid now if it thought it would wake up unrestrained."

"Asaha, please."

Yoh ears perked up. He knew that voice. That proud, stern but dignified voice! It was only confirmed as a body moved from the blob of shadows into the low light…

"Grandpa!"

"Hmph, I may be getting on in years but I'll not be mocked by a familiar."

"No. I mean grandpa as in, you're my mom's dad. It's me."

Yohmei regarded his "grandson" with a intrigued wariness.

"Tell me familiar, who granted you that form and for what purpose?"

"Form? No one granted me any form. Something weird is going on and me being tied up isn't helping."

"Something weird is going on meh mehmehmeh meh. Cool, it knows how to grovel."

Yoh recognized that voice too. It must have belonged to this "Asaha", the person who decked him. Well that and from somewhere else. It was on the tip of his tongue.

Wait a minute. Asaha?

Where had he heard that name before?

His train of thought was interrupted by Yohmei banging the floor with his cane.

"I will ask you only once more. Why were you given. That. Form "

Yohmei's voice was low and dangerous. Yoh knew that any answer out of his mouth would be the wrong one. His heart began to beat at a quickened rate. It didn't matter anyway though as Asaha's voice preempted him.

"Whatever the reason, they're gonna have to make new one."

If Yoh's heart was racing before it was now running a full marathon as all around the room, multiple leaves began to levitate and glow with a familiar energy.

Yohmei emitted a low growl as he turned around sharply, glaring defiantly at the deadly wall of leaves.

"Damn it boy, will you let me handle this!"

"Oh give me a break this was your next move anyway."

"The thing has hardly said a word and you're going to just destroy it without gaining even a sliver of information."

If he wasn't so scared yoh would have enjoyed a laugh. He couldn't count the number times he's been on the end of one yohmei's lectures. His trip down memory lane was cut short as from out the darkness, Asaha finally decided to reveal himself to better argue with Yohmei.

"Hao?!"

Asaha and Yohmei's voices cut short instantly. The side murmuring in the room also dropped. Both grandparent and grandchild turned their heads slowly to stare daggers at Yoh. After a few seconds Yohmei was the first to speak.

"That name…has not been spoken by someone outside of the Asakura family for five-hundred years. Answer me and answer me truly, how do you know the name Hao?"

To emphasize the seriousness of his question more leaves joined the ones already summoned by Asaha. Yoh gulped and caught his breath as he tried to find his words. He fumbled over most of them.

"I kn- I know that name because…" He fought back some bile in his throat. "Because Hao is my twin brother."

Before he could recompose himself, Yoh felt something close around his neck and roughly slam him into a nearby wall, his legs dangled uselessly. He opened his eyes to the sight of Asaha, absolute murder written on his face.

Asaha other hand began to glow and crackle with furyoku. The energy took the shape of a blade, small but sharp none the less. breathing hard, Asaha trained his blade right at Yoh's neck

"Asaha, stop."

At last the mass of dark figures decided to disband as more and more people stepped into the light.

Yoh's nerves calmed down just enough for him to choke out...

"Mom! Dad!"

Indeed two of the figures were his parents. Even in his groggy state Yoh could see in their eyes a pained confusion. His mother began to reach out to him when his father caught her hand in his. She gave him an understanding nod, stopping her advance.

"Whoever this person is...he is not a familiar. It would be very unwise of you to kill him. Please release him."

Only one person could have a voice that strong and in control, As Asaha blade lowered Yoh's hopes rose as the final figure in the room revealed itself to be none other than...

"Tamao, I'm the last person who would question one of your judgment calls but with something like this? Even if this isn't part of some plot by _him_, do you think I'm going let some punk shaman abuse my brother's image? "

"And do you think _he'd _let someone run around looking like that either?"

Slowly the energy began to dissipate. Asaha's glare softened but his grip remained tight. Without warning he dropped him. Turning his back he waved his hands dismissively.

"I don't know who you are but my brother you are not."

And without another word he disappeared out of the room. Soon his parents followed suit, leaving only he and Tamao. Smiling softly she began to untie his bindings.

He rubbed his wrists as soon as his limbs were free. They didn't hurt that bad, but then again there wasn't really much else he could do. Silently Tamao took a seat next to and for the next few minutes they remained there, neither saying a word. Noticing how erratically Yoh was massaging his wrists Tamao placed a hand on his, steadying it.

"But seriously if you tell me who you really are, I might be able to talk them down to only a severe beating."

Yoh buried his head into his hands groaning loudly.

"I'm telling you, I am a member of this family. My name is-"

"Yoh. I know. I think they all know. By some miracle of the Great Spirit, Yoh Asakura has returned to us."

Yoh's head remained planted in hands. His voiced trembled with fatigue and confusion.

"I couldn't have returned because I haven't gone anywhere."

Tamao pulled her knees close to her chest, looking…somewhere, anywhere that wasn't Yoh.

"But _our _Yoh _has_."

Another round of silence. Standing up, Tamao gave Yoh's hand a comforting squeeze.

"Don't let what just happened discourage you. I think all that's needed at the moment is time to process all of this, for all of us. "

"So you think they'll stop trying to kill. me?"

"Absolutely. You may not be the one they gave birth to but I think they'll realize, you are their son."

Tamao began to walk away when a loud snore rose into the air.

She chuckled to herself as she moved Yoh from his curled position to more comfortable one lying down.

"You are definitely Yoh."


	5. Stranger in a Familiar Land

This was more like it.

Yoh yawned long and contentedly as the sun's rays eased him out of sleep. His back ached a bit from the hard floor but other than that his mind was calm and the mountainous problems of yesterday had toppled into mere pesky steep inclines. What a difference eight hours made!

Yoh sat up to survey his surroundings. A feeling of deja vu washed over him as he noted the details of the room. The oddly colored wallpaper, the feel of the carpet on his skin. Even placement and shape of the windows. As much as he wanted to deny it, Yoh was now sitting in the home of his grandparents, all the way back in Izumo.

That answered the "where", now all that was left was the "how" and "why". Yoh drummed his fingers as he planned his next move. If there was a solution to be had, sitting around in self denial was no way to discover it. He decided the best thing to do was talk with his grandfather. He had to have some kind of experience for reality hopping. That was in the shaman handbook wasn't it?

Then he remembered how agitated he was the day before. Whatever advice Yohmei might have would not come easily. And even if he did have a definitive answer, it would be a backwards riddle given in double talk, if he was anything like grandpa back home.

"_Wait a minute...__**back**__ home? I am home. Well this is where I used to live. This is where all of my memories are. I am home aren't I?"_

Yoh groaned loudly. It was too early to be confusing himself. It was apparent any rejuvenating effects his slumber had were quickly wearing off.

Gathering what little enthusiasm remained, Yoh threw open the den door, determination shining in his eyes. Unfortunately, on the other side stood Asaha, irritation stagnating in his.

In utter terror, Yoh slowly retreated back in the den. Asaha's advancing footfalls matching Yoh's.

It was Asaha who was first to break the who-knows-how long silence.

"Mom and dad thought…"

Asaha caught the glint forming in Yoh's eye.

"_MY_ mom and dad thought that we should probably feed you. So…here."

As if reminded that it hadn't been topped off in hours, Yoh's stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of food.

Asaha roughly shoved a tray of food in Yoh's general direction. Taken off guard , the action caused Yoh to tumble on to the ground. Luckily most of the food had not been jostled too far. Yoh was especially glad when the aroma of it finally hit his nose.

Sitting on his knees, he took a long inhale of it before sighing contentedly. Offering his thanks, he prepared to dig in when he noticed something about the meal before him. He looked up to Asaha, face beaming.

"Hey, this is…"

Asaha rolled his eyes at the unwanted adulation.

"Yeah, yeah, 'your' favorite dish." He air quoted, "Now hurry up, we still have to decide what to do with you."

Asaha looked away, his lips twitching as if they were deciding whether to speak the words poised on them. He growled to himself as he turned back toward the door. Feeling Yoh's appreciative gaze still on him, he stopped.

"Hey, don't look at me, pal. _That_ was all Tamao's idea. "

And once again Yoh was left alone. Shrugging he enthusiastically shoveled heaping spoonfuls of food into his mouth.

Minutes later the utensils clattered onto empty dishes. Yoh laid back lethargically, his stomach full and quiet. A sharp knock on the doorframe brought him back to attention.

Tamao stood at the entrance, her face a mix of joy and concern. She eyed the room a moment before speaking.

"I see Asaha brought you breakfast. Though I suppose calling it lunch would be more accurate." She chuckled softly. She cleared her throat nervously as an awkward silence settled on the room.

Motioning his hands around the room, Yoh sheepishly attempted to invite her in. Sensing his exasperation, Tamao took a seat on the floor opposite him.

"So, I had hoped that Asaha told you that your parents have-"

"_His_ parents." Yoh interrupted with a smile.

"The elder Asakuras." She rolled her eyes. "….have been discussing you. Where you've come from, why you're here, but most importantly what is to be done with you. After discussing it all night they decided it would be best if, how should I put this? They are lowering their hostilities but don't have enough information to leave you to your own devices."

Yoh scratched his head. His smile shrank a small bit.

"They still don't trust me?"

Tamao tapped her index fingers together, trying to carefully choose her words. She wanted to assuage Yoh's fears but at the same time, she didn't want to get his hopes up _too_ high.

"I wouldn't call it mistrust, exactly. They would just feel better if you were observed a little while longer."

"So I have to stay here?" Yoh pointed to the floor to emphasize his question.

"No, no. You're free to go out but with..erm…" her voice trailed as she looked away from him.

"With a babysitter." Yoh finished her sentence.

Her silence was all the answer he needed. Rising to his feet he threw his hands up in surrender. He now had zero chance of finding even the slightest clue to what was going on. Trying to think he found himself walking from one end of the room to the other. Tamao was content to watch for a moment before giving in to curiosity.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm pacing. Isn't that people under house arrest do… pace?" Yoh bit his lip, immediately sorry at how sharp that had come out.

"I said you don't have to stay cooped up here."

"Well I can't go out without someone 'observing' me. And I doubt you guys are gonna tell how short my leash is. And even if…"

Yoh's voice began to lose some of it's energy. He plunked down onto the floor, a hand lazily rubbing the back of his head.

"Even if I _could_ go as I please, where _would_ I go? This isn't my world, apparently. There's no telling how much it differs from home."

"Well, you could start in town."

Yoh gazed toward Tamao, his eyes neither hopeful nor desolated.

"I've got some errands to run. It's pretty quiet this time of day, should be easy to keep an eye you."

Apparently missing it's home Yoh's smile returned to his face.

---

For most of their trip, the pair traveled in silence. Yoh was busy observing the lay of the town and Tamao, observing him. Both found their subject to be intriguing yet inconclusive.

Between stores Tamao would stop at a telephone pole to staple a flyer to it. Sometimes she would hand one to one the few passers-by on the street.

Even though she had asked Yoh to hold half of the rather thick stack of papers he had so far resisted peeking at it's contents. He didn't know why he felt so obligated to refrain from looking. After all she was putting them up in public, so it wouldn't exactly be wrong to read one of them…would it?

He glanced at Tamao. Her attention currently focused on what looked to be a PDA, Her fingers occasionally tapping at the screen. Oh well, he needed something to do to pass the time before the trip continued. His eyes eagerly began to scan the topmost flyer…

"**No problem too big. No job too odd. If you need some assistance call The Izumo Help Squad. Fast and friendly service, we guarantee satisfaction. Reach us by phone, fax or submit your trouble at website below. For more information contact….**

"The Izumo Help Squad?" Yoh asked out loud, a hint of laugh in his voice.

"Hmm? " Tamao looked up, pocketing the Handheld.

"Oh that, right. I forgot, not "our" Yoh. The Izumo Help Squad was originally just a silly venture started by some bored children. We would, well, _help _people. Nothing special we offered minor shamanic services to the kids at school. Tutor them with scholar spirits, let them talk with a passed away relative, stuff like that. It was mildly lucrative and took some the edge off when it came to meeting new people. At least until word got around to their parents…"

"And then the teasing started right?"

"At first yes, the adults were a bit wary of our abilities, and their children followed suit. But then we exorcised the spirit haunting the PTA leader's attic and the matter pretty much resolved itself. After that we were getting calls from all over town."

Yoh listened with the utmost attention. He couldn't believe it. Humans were accepting of shamans? This really was a brand new world.

"No one makes fun of you because of your powers? That's…different from my experience. "

Tamao nodded, a low agreeing hmm coming from her throat.

"Yes, that does seem the human condition…fear what one does not understand, and shun what one fears. But solving that is as simple as helping them understand. We didn't just say we had special abilities, we proved it. Sure there were always skeptics, but we never let it get to us."

"I really couldn't see Hao, er, Asaha being all that willing to help humans.

Tamao shrugged.

"It really surprises what people you think you know are capable of. Anyhow I guess any arguments on the existence of spirits are sort of pointless nowadays."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen for a moment. You'll get what I mean."

Closing his eyes, Yoh attempted to focus his sixth sense. Apparently the spirits had the explanation for Tamao's odd comment; however he was having trouble finding an appropriate conversation. In fact he couldn't find _any _conversation. That was weird, spirits are chatty little things.

"They're so quiet. The spirits aren't saying anything."

"More accurately, They're not here _to_ say anything."

Yoh's eyebrow rose curiously.

"You mean they left the city?"

"The city, the country… spirits have completely gone from this world."

Yoh performed a near perfect double take at Tamao's words.

"GONE?! G-gone where…why?"

"I can't answer the where. But I can tell you the why…the shaman prime. "

"The shaman _what_? Yoh voiced was half curious, half amused.

"The Shaman Prime…the self-imposed leader of all shaman kind and unopposed master of this world."

Tamao took Yoh's gaping mouth as a cue to continue.

"The shaman prime appeared shortly before the start of what was to be the fight to determine the new shaman king. Through some unknown power, he was able to challenge and defeat every shaman in the world…in one night. Before long the world began to change. Continents shifted, Oceans became violent. Slowly spirits of all kinds began to disappear from the world.

Yoh silently gazed toward the ground as he processed the story. Every second that passed this situation became more and more dire. There had to be a silver lining somewhere, he just to look for it…right?

"Wait, you said that spirits have left the world, but yesterday…Asaha and grandpa were about to shred me with a bunch of leaf shikigami."

Tamao shook her head lightly.

"No, no that was the over-" She stopped herself suddenly. "Th-that was something else."

She looked away quickly. By the shadow that suddenly draped her eyes, Yoh could tell this meant to move on.

"Okay, but even before the spirits completely disappeared, didn't anyone try to stop him?"

"Oh, brave and capable shamans mounted many valiant attempts against his high jerkiness"…

Yoh and Tamao both jumped slightly at the sudden third voice. Yoh began scanning the area for it's origin, from the echoing it sounded like it was coming from somewhere high.

Seconds later, the owner of the voice made his appearance. Asaha landed a few feet from the pair, a grimace obvious on his face. Yoh figured it was how hard he had hit the ground. He must like jumping from high places or something.

Or he might have been training, judging by the odd looking sweat suit he was wearing.

"We honor their memory every day." He turned to Tamao as he motioned toward Yoh with his thumb.

"Why is he out here?"

"What's it matter, I'm with him."

"He's an unassessed threat, maybe."

"And? I'm assessing him."

Pretty soon, Asaha and Tamao's conversation degenerated into a flurry of raised voices and exaggerated arm gestures. Yoh would have normally found the argument interesting and maybe even interjected…but they had been walking for nearly _two _whole hours. He felt himself nodding off when, par the course for this world…

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

Yoh's eye's shot open at the annoying sound. Like an alarm clock, only in stereo. He saw the reason. Tamao's PDA was ringing. And from the looks of it, Asaha's...oracle bell?

Whoever was calling, they obviously had bad news, as Asaha and Tamao's eye's had gone wide as saucers. They shared a look before Asaha turned an accusing glance toward Yoh.

"Tell me this is a coincidence. This one shows up and not twenty-four hours later we got a five star on our hands."

"We'll discuss it later, right now we need to get home so you can charge…"

"Correction, _you_ need to get home. I have to book it uptown before…

Cutting Asaha off, a loud siren filled the air. The kind of siren that sounded during local emergencies.

Asaha groaned loudly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Oh great, the emergency horn. Now people are going to panic and draw the damn things right to them. "

He pounded his palm with renewed vigor.

"Oh well, least I won't have track'em now."

"Wait, you have to come home. The system much too taxed for an extended confrontation, You must-"

Ignoring the plea, Asaha took a few steps back before breaking into a sprint down the street. Even with all the super human feats Yoh had witnessed during his shaman career, he was still amazed at how fast Asaha was moving toward the horizon.

A tugging on his arm pulled his attention from the increasingly smaller figure.

"Come on Yoh we _must_ be on the next bus home."

"Why, Wh-what's happening?"

"A pack of Oni are making their way towards the city."

Oni…in packs. This world really had it out for optimism.

---

_ Loading…_


	6. Tryouts

Yoh couldn't really blame them, as the fifth elbow impacted his head. Honestly the first time he had encountered an oni, he wanted nothing more than to go screaming full tilt in the opposite direction. Though he could probably do it _without_ maligning the mother of whoever happened to get in his path.

Making their way back to the Asakura estate was proving to be much more tasking than the trip away.

The bus was packed with panic stricken people. Traffic was packed with cars . The streets packed with _rude _panic stricken people, emergency crews doing nothing more than adding shrill whistles to the air.

All the while Yoh's many question played second fiddle to Tamao's PDA. She was transfixed on whatever was on the screen. As they pushed through the unruly crowd, Yoh tried to see what it was that so interesting. The constant shifting as the two ran made it to difficult to focus but he thought he saw a schematic of some kind. He couldn't exactly make out of what exactly, but the green wireframe definitely looked human-shaped.

"I knew it. You're already at 85%. I told you to stop jumping off of buildings." In a huff Tamao pocketed the device to better focus on avoiding people.

Yoh took this opportunity to try again with getting answers.

"Tamao how are-"

As if sensing his inquiry, she held up a halting hand.

"We don't know why they appear. They just do and fear makes them hungry."

He narrowly dodged getting trampled as another thought entered his mind. He felt a bit guilty for thinking it but he had to make sure.

"After the shaman prime took over, what happened to Anna?"

"If you're wondering if she's the one summoning these creatures, don't worry, we took care of that long ago."

"So, she's okay then?"

"I don't know, we haven't spoken in years."

"What!? Where is she?"

Tamao groaned agitatedly as she once again fished out her PDA.

"Anna really isn't my priority right now."

The situation had now officially gotten to Yoh. He was going to deck the _very_ next person who tried to shove past him. No sooner had he made this personal declaration, someone plowed right into him knocking him to the ground.

He growled as he raised his fist. He locked eyes with the inconsiderate jerk…a young woman, a little older than he. Her eyes were red with tears. Her clothes were red with…something else.

Instantly his frustration melted away. He only had to deal with an oni once. And even though just barely, he had managed to save the only person it endangered. But for all he knew this was an everyday occurrence for her. He couldn't imagine dealing with it in a rational manner.

He scrambled to his feet, quickly offering a hand to help her up. The only thing he could offer to her was an akward smile. For a moment he thought he saw a brief hint of hope in her eyes as she resumed running…in the wrong direction.

In fact, Yoh was now noticing that once was a chaotic mass of running in random directions, had become a chaotic mass of unified running. Only thing was it was running back the way he and Tamao had come. The same general direction that Asaha had sped off in. Why would they….

*Groaoor*

A horrible tingle ran up Yoh's spine as the ground rumbled slightly. If the people were scared before now they were downright hysterical.

*Groaoor*

The tremors grew more intense, the ungodly roar this time followed by multiple shrieks.

Yoh found himself being tugged on again by Tamao. Yoh wasn't so sure it was to lead him however, given how tight her grip was.

"Why are we going back?"

"We have to find another way back…something's wrong, they must have split up or something."

Tamao let go of Yoh's arm so that she could navigate the screen of her PDA. A small cry of frustration escaped as she fumbled with the buttons.

"Respond damn it!"

For the next few moments they ran in silence. Tamao alternated between concentrating on the screen and furiously typing on it.

"Asaha. He's…fighting the oni isn't he?"

A stoic glance backwards was her answer.

"And without any spirits to help, it's probably more than little difficult."

"He has his ways, but yes Oni can pose a significant threat."

"Well then in that case…"

Too concentrated on her PDA Tamao had failed to notice Yoh turning back toward their original course. When she finally did, he had already ran blocks back.

"Yoh come back here!"

Tamao growled in frustration watching the boy disappear around a corner. She made a mental note before taking off after him.

"_Stubbornness is obviously a heritable trait among Asakuras." _

---

One day Yoh would learn to stop doing this, getting pumped on bravado and diving head first in danger for the sake of doing the "right thing". One day he would think it over before charging towards something that could knock him flat in two seconds. One day…

Today, however he was on the hunt for oni.

As he scanned the area for a makeshift weapon, he mulled his current decision over. It wasn't the _dumbest _course of action he had ever taken. After all, there was that one time he told Anna to 'make her own damn dinner'.

In the wreckage of a store front Yoh had spotted something that looked it had potential. A simple metal rod, what may have been a guard rail or pipe fixture.

Picking it up Yoh gave it a few practice swings. Not too heavy, but with enough weight that in right in hands and enough momentum, it could do some damage. Yoh twirled it around himself before gripping it like a sword, taking the stance of a samurai.

It was definitely in the right hands.

Weapon aquired, now all that was left to find the one responsible for this whole mess. And it would be easy enough, all Yoh had to do was follow the wake of destruction.

Traversing through holes in various buildings, Yoh couldn't help but feel even more emboldened toward his goal. Which, judging by the loud, squishing noises, wasn't very far off…

Huffing to a stop, Tamao had finally caught up to Yoh. He stood motionless, watching something intently. She motioned him with her arm.

"Yoh! Let's go."

Yoh remained unmoved. Tamao moved closer to the boy.

"Yoh I said let's goo-oh my God."

Tamao nearly lost her lunch at the sight before her. On the side of the road were the remains of a large meat delivery truck. Barely jammed into it's side, noisily tearing into it's contents was the very creature they had spent the last trying to _avoid._

Suddenly it's body stopped moving. Slowly pulling itself the from the metal wreckage, it turned toward the two, revealing itself completely.

A horrible amalgamation of teeth, claws and hatred. It may have walked on all fours, but this creature was definitely the same as the ones Yoh had faced years ago.

Sniffing the air the Oni began to advance in Yoh's direction. It took one final chomp of it's previous snack, instantly ready to begin the next.

"Yoh! What are you doing?" Tamao's voice cracked with desperation.

"You said they feed on fear, right? He turned a defiant gaze toward the hulking creature.

"Well I'm going to starve this thing."

Steadying his makeshift weapon, Yoh stood steadfast under the menacing gaze of the beast, charging it with furyoku. He wasn't sure how effective scrap metal would be against it, but he _was _sure that he would be the hardest meal the oni ever fought for.

The oni reared on it's hind legs, letting out another feral shriek as it bounded toward Yoh. The ground was now shaking noticeably with it's every step.

Yoh gulped hard, but never let his will falter. As the oni bore down on him he desperately flashed through all the techniques that he had practiced with Amidimaru. No matter what he focused on though, he would instantly disregard it, as he remembered that he practiced with a very sharp samurai sword.

Closing the distance between them in seconds the oni pounced in a flash. Reacting just as quickly, Yoh grunted as he brought the metal rod down in an arc toward it's head.

*Ker-rack*

Time slowed as Yoh stood, his weapon down. His eye shot open. He shuddered as he gasped for air. He looked forward. On the ground, motionless, lay the oni.

"No way…" Yoh laughed to himself, leaning the pipe for support.

"My thoughts exactly."

Rising up from his kneeling position on the monster's head, Asaha gazed down to Yoh. He almost looked…amused.

"You don't think you put him down with that puny thing, do you?"

Yoh hid the pipe behind him. He smiled sheepishly.

"Heh, it uh it crossed my mind."

Asaha took a short a hop from it's head to ground. The oni grunted loudly, coming out it's stupor. A short but powerful kick from Asaha quieted it back down.

He casually strode up to Yoh, locking eyes with him. Well, almost. Asaha seemed…shorter since their last stare-down . Yoh chalked up it to nerves and quickly shrugged it off.

Asaha circled around Yoh and snatched the rod away.

"And who said you could have a weapon?"

"Who said _you _could go ten minutes without maintaining contact?"

Tamao had quickly placed herself between the two in order jab an accusing finger into Asaha's chest.

"Yeah sorry about that. Apparently these things are getting smarter, so the dance took a little longer than I thought it would."

"Still, what if the O.S. had collapsed, huh."

"Oh don't worry they didn't hurt your precious suit."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Same as before the two teens had devolved to a yelling contest, with Yoh trying to mediate, with futility. So concentrated were the three that neither noticed the monster's claws begin to slowly flex and stretch.

Silently the beast rose to a crouched position. Slowly it stalked it's way towards the oblivious trio. It's mouth hanging open, it tensed itself, a low instinctual growl escaping it's throat. With all of it's might, the oni propelled itself towards it's prey.

It was a good thing that Yoh was not a better mediator. If he was, he would have been paying better attention to Tamao and Asaha's arguing, and not let the movement in the corner of his eye distract him.

"Look out!"

Like second nature, Yoh threw himself in front of Tamao. He wrapped his arms around her, the action causing both to fall. He was able to clear them out of the oni immediate path, but too slow to avoid taking a claw swipe to the back. Skidding along the ground, Yoh's head collided with an unfortunately placed piece of rubble.

Gritting through the haze of pain, he managed to push himself out to his knees. He looked around, spotting Tamao a distance away, dazed but unharmed. Good. A loud yell caught his ear. Another yell then several dull but very heavy impacts. A pain filled yelp. Then silence.

Yoh struggled to turn his head toward the source of the noise. He found only Asaha, fists clenched panting heavily. The ground around him seemed to be strewn with many tiny glowing beads. The oni was nowhere in sight.

Physical pain and emotional relief having reached some sort of agreement, Yoh collapsed in a heap, The last sensation before losing consciousness, was something gently lifting him from the ground.

---

"…Are you sure about this Tamao?"

"I am master Yohmei."

"But to entrust him with such a thing…so soon?"

"I too thought this situation would require more time for observation. But today was all the convincing I need.

"Tamao's right gramps. Familiars don't bleed like that."

"Hmmm….Very well then. I know not what this boy's appearance bodes for the future, but I trust the judgment of you two, so I will leave him in your care. Tamao you may proceed, with my blessing."

"Thank you master Yohmei."

A moment of shuffling and then silence had the room once more. Two of the remaining occupants kept a vigil on the prone third.

"So how long do you want to wait before we ask him, Tamao?"

She took a moment a moment to towel a few beads of sweat from his brow.. This action seemingly calming his labored rest.

"I think we should give time to recover first. But as soon as he's ready we should immediately fit him with an OVERSOUL."

---

_Loading..._


	7. Unskippable Cutscene

With great effort Yoh slowly pulled himself back into consciousness. He graoned as he tried to clear the fog from his mind.

"We were in town…oni…Tamao!"

Ignoring his fatigue Yoh sprang to his feet. He scanned the area searching for any sign of his friend. There was no sign of her. As a matter of fact he wasn't even sure he was even in the city anymore.

Sure enough, he was in a field that was overlooking a city horizon, however this wasn't Izumo. Still there was a hint of familiarity to it. Wait…the huge corporate building in the distance, though he had never seen from this angle, he recognized it! Could it be…was he back in…

"_Wow it's even more beautiful up close…."_

"_Please this is insane, we can talk…"_

"…_No, I'm done with talking…"_

Yoh's train of thought was interrupted as two strangely loud voices argued off to the side. The voices turned out to belong to a pair of…shadows. Despite the fact of how bright it was, the two figures were completely draped in darkness.

He strained to listen to the conversation playing out before him, but it seemed as every other word came out gibberish. And as time went on the voices began to become more muffled, drowned out by some loud noise. Something big was rushing towards them but from where, Yoh couldn't tell. He moved closer, yet the two figures seemed to remain the same distance from him. He tried to maneuver around them, however their figures remained as two dark, human-shaped blobs.

One of the figures moved towards Yoh, passing right through him as if he wasn't even there. A sudden feeling of dread and uncertainty seemed to fill his entire being. The rushing soon became the dominant sound, now accompanied by the ground violently shaking. The figure held its arms in a welcoming gesture towards the sky. Puzzled, Yoh cast his gaze skyward as well, involuntarily gasping at the sight that greeted him.

A massive glowing object was plummeting towards the earth at a great speed. Larger and larger it grew as it fell to its final destination, which by Yoh's calculations was the very area they were standing in! As the object loomed closer, the combination of its brightness and great noise soon overwhelmed Yoh's senses.

The rumbling grew more and more intense and the glow became brighter, buildings were vaporized instantly as the object crashed down through them. Time froze as the object was mere feet from impact. Directly in its path stood the shadow figure, arms still reaching upward. From his haze Yoh thought he saw the figure turn its head towards him briefly before time resumed its flow, allowing the object to slam into the waiting earth.

The resulting shockwave sent Yoh flying with incredible force. The world became a sickening swirl of color as his body tumbled through the air. As he flew Yoh made a desperate attempt to spin himself into a position that would minimize damage before he hit the ground and having a wealth of experience in being battered into the air he soon realized that should have been some time ago. Bringing his spinning to a halt it became apparent to Yoh that he was floating. All around him was a vast black void decorated with pulsating auras of varying color.

Before he could proper ponder his whereabouts the bands of color swirled all around. One by one the auras surround him enveloped him…connected with him.

"_Be not afraid transient one. We have come to guide you."_

"Guide me? To where? And who's 'we'?"

"_We are the will of the ones lost."_

"_The conqueror is relentless in the war against hope. It has twisted existence itself in the pursuit of destruction."_

"Conqueror…do you mean this primed shaman guy or whatever?"

"_The lights of life have been spoiled, however they have not been extinguished. If you seek them, you can heal them. Only when the light has reunited can the conqueror be subdued._

"I don't understand. What is a 'light of life'? And how can _I…_heal it?"

"_You hold the proper form of their existence and they, yours."_

"…_.."_

The Aura's moved away from Yoh, each shooting off into different directions. A great distance away, each one burst into a brilliant explosion of color, before emitting an intense of beam of light back toward Yoh. He was knocked back slightly as the beams converged upon his chest. He could only utter silent gasps as the beams seared his skin. After few agonizing seconds that felt like hours, the beams dissipated. Instinctively, Yoh brought his hand to the still throbbing area.

"Yeowch! What was that for?"

Inspecting it he noticed there was a strange symbol etched into his skin. However it quickly faded, along with the pain.

"_A gift, the first of many. You will face many trials, tests of both the mind and body. This power you have been granted will allow you to gain the insight needed to succeed these trials."_

"You know, no one actually asked me if I even wanted to fight this conqueror guy. He sounds pretty tough. What makes you think I have the ability to stop him?"

"_The conquer observes the whole of this realm's existence. Every step of every life's journey falls under its gaze. However, you walk an unmarked path."_

"I'm not sure I get it but okay."

"_The conqueror will try turn this world against you, but it cannot spoil a heart bathed in the light of life."_

"Again, with the lights."

Suddenly Yoh was suddenly aware of something pulling on his body. Slowly he began to drift back through the void, the points of light becoming dimmer with every passing moment.

"_Our time grows short transient one. When you return, find the archivist. She holds the first key."_

The points of light began to fade and the voices grew quieter.

"Wait, if I do defeat the conqueror…"

Now moving with incredible speed, Yoh was unable to finish his sentence. The void became brighter until it was a brilliant white. Once again Yoh's eyes were overwhelmed.

He shut them to shield them from the intensity of the void. An incredible feeling of gravity took of hold of Yoh.

When he reopened his reopened his eyes, he was staring at a familiar ceiling. From the absence of light in the window he could tell that was sometime in the middle of the night. He winced slightly at the sudden, sharp pain in his back. Remembering part of the vision he just experienced he felt his chest where he had been marked. A small but intense feeling of warmth radiated from the area.

"Insight? How about some insight on going back home?"

Pulling the thick blanket that been draped over him closer, he closed his eyes and attempted to find the most comfortable position that wouldn't agitate his back. Slowly he drifted back to sleep, hoping the voices were up for second visit.


End file.
